Esa Oke deserves local council headquarters

Without mincing words, History and posterity will continue to judge the incumbent Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for his administration’s agenda. In fact, the wind of positive change blowing across the state is bringing progressive traits with the resolve of the government to create new local government councils.

In practical demonstration of the need for more local governments which invariably is designed for grassroots development, the Aregbesola administration has put in place a committee saddled with the responsibility of looking into the creation of new third tier administration under the chairmanship of the former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Prof. Mojeed Alabi. Although as it is customary when opportunity like this comes, every community is bound to agitate, but there are many factors those in charge should consider. The present Ijesa North Federal constituency comprising, Obokun and Oriade local governments has a complex structure with many big towns, villages and land mass. To be realistic, Esa Oke, the host community of the Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH), according to available records, is bigger than many present local government headquarters in the state in terms of population, infrastructure, land mass, adjoining villages and hamlets of more than 40 with their separate community heads.

The ancient town of Esa Oke which produced the first Executive Governor of old Oyo State and leader of the progressives, the late Bola Ige and many other illustrious sons and daughters has all the wherewithal including economic power, high political profile and available structures to become an independent local government or as the headquarters of one of the proposed councils in the present Obokun local government. A critical assessment of the present population of Esa Oke shows that it overwhelms all the others particularly in Obokun local government comprising Ibokun, Imesi Ile, Ilare, Otan Ile, Ikinyinwa, Idominasi, Ilowa, Iponda, Ilase, Idoka, Esa odo, Eesun, Ido Oko, Ipetu Ile etc while its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is higher than all other towns put together. Esa Oke has a vibrant historic records particularly with its immediate past monarch, Oba Isaiah Ajayi Adeniran, Owa Omiran(JP) serving as the only traditional ruler who was a member of House of Chiefs in the old Western Region that represented the entire Obas in that axis during an international conference in England.

It is endowed with a large fertile land that will ginger the laudable agricultural instinct of the incumbent Aregbesola administration. The community has about seven public and private secondary schools and many elementary schools. In fact, government needs little or nothing to add to the existing infrastructure in Esa Oke community for the effective take-off of the proposal. It is interesting that Ikenne, the country home of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is today, headquarters of a local government in Ogun State. Were it not because of “Cicero of Esa Oke”s selfless politics when he was Governor of the old Oyo State, Esa Oke would have been a local government headquarters several years back. Governor Aregbesola has been a friend of the community for many reasons, and will continue to be, considering the support many of its citizenry to him during the 2007 election and his period in trenches when he battled to reclaim his stolen mandate from political usurpers. Chief Ige will rejoice in his grave if Esa Oke is granted a status of local government headquarters.